made with the wonderful Pari map stencil from ArtistCellar. I didn't do justice to the stencil. The crinkly paper I used made it difficult to get a clear image from stenciling with paint but I wanted to try it out anyway and I'm pretty happy with how things turned out. I used paper that had been spritzed with lots of commercial and homemade sprays in about 5-6 colors, then wrinkled while wet (using a technique learnt from the amazing Rach0113 from this video on techniques for creating backgrounds using glimmer mist). I love that crinkled look and I think the fuzzy stenciling adds to the aged effect, kind of like a well-loved map that's also been very well used. I outlined with a Zig Wink of Stella marker the River Seine and some of the parks which I'd painted green but the rest I left undefined. I like the different colors of spray ink and paint showing through in the bits that were not stenciled, which are the roads of the city.

This photo gives you a better look at the stencil. I made this at 2am once I got home from work the day I got my stencils in the mail, just had to try them out!

It's just stenciling with a pigment ink stamp pad on black-painted paper. I love that ghostly shadowy look from that simple process. I have so many ideas for this and the other ArtistCellar map stencils of London, Venice and Amsterdam, all places I've visited multiple times as I've lived within 2-3 hours of each at some point in my life. I also once lived in Paris, so just having these stencils already brings back lots of memories. Can't wait to play with them all!

The stencils are even better than I imagined and at $6.99, I think they are a steal. They are 8.5"x11" and if you get the set of 4, it costs just $25.99 (ArtistCellar Old World Maps Series 4-Stencil Set ACSET-008)
. I'm not being paid to plug the stencils lol, I just think they are fantastic! From ArtistCellar, I also bought the Paris stencil from the Cathedral series and Apparatus from the Steampunk series which I also think are super cool (the whole sets, not just those I had to limit myself to!).